Jessie May to join Children’s Hospice South West to help sustain vital hospice at home care for families
Jessie May, the Bristol-based children’s hospice at home charity, has announced it will join Children’s Hospice South West (CHSW) with the merger expected to complete at the end of March 2026.
From 1st April 2026 Jessie May will become a subsidiary charity of Children’s Hospice South West.
The agreement brings together two organisations with a shared commitment to supporting children with life-limiting conditions and their families, at a time when children’s hospice services across the UK are facing increasing financial pressures.
Like many hospices in the current climate, Jessie May has faced significant funding challenges. Despite the dedication of its supporters and the launch of an emergency appeal last summer, it became clear that working in partnership would offer the strongest and most sustainable way to protect Jessie May’s specialist hospice at home service for the families who rely on it.
By joining CHSW as a subsidiary, Jessie May’s services will be preserved and will continue as a separate charity under the Jessie May name, with the same focus on delivering expert, compassionate care to children and families in their own homes across Bristol and the surrounding areas. There are no plans to expand services at this stage; the priority is ensuring these vital services remain sustainable now and into the future.
The partnership reflects a shared belief that collaboration is the best way to safeguard hospice care for children and families, and to give services the best possible chance of reaching more families over time, as funding and circumstances allow.
Andrea Choules, Acting CEO of Jessie May, said:
“Jessie May has built something very special. Our hospice at home model allows families to receive expert care in the comfort of their own home”
By joining Children’s Hospice South West, we can ensure that families continue to receive the compassionate, expert care they rely on, Jessie May will continue as Jessie May, and our supporters and families remain as vital to us as ever.”
Phil Morris, CEO of Children’s Hospice South West, said:
“We have enormous respect for the care Jessie May provides and for the team behind it. We are committed to now work together to protect essential services for children and families during an incredibly challenging time for our sector.
By bringing our organisations together, we can offer greater stability and ensure that hospice care at home continues to be available for families who need it, both now and in the years ahead.”
Both charities emphasise that continued Government and ICB funding, alongside public support and fundraising, remains essential to sustaining children’s hospice care for the future.
